Vancouver 2010: The Official Video Game of the Winter Olympic Games - Gameplay

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The gameplay and controls in Vancouver 2010 are a big improvement over past Olympics titles. You donít have to mindlessly mash buttons to compete anymore. Instead, you can perform more technical maneuvers that require sensitivity and timing. You will likely have to practice certain events repeatedly to get the hang of the controls, as the game is not terribly easy in terms of difficulty.

The main Olympic mode is a real letdown when, in fact, it should have been the main focus of the developers. In the Olympic mode you basically compete in one-off events with the hopes of winning a medal for your country. There are only 24 countries to choose from, which is less than one third the amount of nations that are participating in the actual games. There is also no pageantry involved in the Olympic mode, providing not much of a simulation experience and giving you no real incentive to succeed.

Challenge mode is an improvement over the Olympic mode. It lets you compete in 30 different challenges, where your goal is to complete specific objectives. One example of such a challenge is in the luge event, where you must perfect your technique in going around corners of the track. Another example is in downhill skiing, where you must maintain a certain speed to achieve your objective.

These challenges, while not incredibly diverse, at least add more of a competitive element to the game. One negative about the challenges is that some of them seem to be too arcade-like, making a mockery of the actual Olympic Games. For example, there is one downhill skiing challenge where your objective is to speed down the slope while trying to hit snowmen in your way. This seems a bit childish, not to mention that it lacks realism as well.

Multiplayer mode is decent at best on Vancouver 2010. You can choose to play with friends either online or in person. You can play with up to four players via a split-screen.

This mode is fun, as human competition is always better, although, like the other parts of the game, it can get old quickly. At least when playing online there are leaderboards to try to earn a spot on, as well as medals up for grabs.